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Q3: Why is it so hard for people to know the difference between Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Lupus?
A3: What most people don't know or don't realize, is that there are 84 Distinct recognized Rheumatological Diseases (there are reports that state it could be 107, or as many as 300 different diseases/syndromes). Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteo-Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Scleroderma are just a few of them (for an almost complete list click here). There are many symptoms that are shared between different diseases, which is what often makes diagnosing difficult and can cause confusion to the layperson. Often a patient will have more than one Rheumatological Disease, which further complicates separating out the symptoms of each disease, since they often have many of the same symptoms. It is best left to a medical professional to help with diagnosis, and then with some research you can usually figure out the different symptoms you have, and where they come from. Once you know your diagnosis I highly suggest learning as much as you can about your disease so you can best take care of yourself and understand how everything can affect it.